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The Better Half (2)
Summary: The Centurions are badly defeated in the battle for Sand Castle. Crystal retrieves them, but Max is in the worst condition due to a decompression. While he recovers in the hospital, Ace and Jake visit Terror in the North American Rehabilitation Facility to try to learn more about Uniborg. Doc Terror tells them how Uniborg was accidentally created, but refuses to disclose the location of Dominion. The Centurions are called to try to defend Fire Castle, the southernmost of Skyvault's ground-based surveillance outposts. They are again defeated, and Ace surrenders Fire Castle in exchange for a badly wounded Jake. Ace strikes a deal with Terror: His freedom in exchange for help to defeat Uniborg. Uniborg is expected to strike next at Ice Castle, and Terror plans to break back into Dominion during that attack. Against Crystal's protests, Ace agrees to act as a diversion to cover for the break-in. Science Lesson: "How plants communicate with each other" by Jake. Synopsis After a brief resume of the first part, the episode continues where it left off. Max Ray is seen falling to the depths of the ocean where Submarine Seaborgs are about to capture him. In the surface, Jake Rockwell is about to meet his demise surrounded by Groundborgs, while Ace McCloud is about to hit the ground since the Sky Knight's energy was sucked out by the Strafers bombs. Fortunately, He's picked back up to Skyvault just in time, along with Max and Jake. Meanwhile, in Dominion, Uniborg watches their retreat and considers it as an "Interesting Defense Strategy" from the space station, and decides to archive that strategy in their memory banks, then he orders the Groundborgs to guard Sand Castle, and prepares his next move as the Centurions are no longer offering resistance. Back in Skyvault, the Centurions are recovering from their wounds (and decompression problems in Max's case). Claiming to be alright, Ace refuses to get attention and asks Crystal Kane to attend Jake first, who was wounded physically and emotionally. Jake tells Crystal he can't believe that the Centurions were defeated. Before Crystal could say something they're interrupted by Skyvault's staff as Max is suffering a quick decompression. Crystal orders to take Max to a medical installation. Jake wants to go back because they can't let Dominion win. Ace agrees and requests to be sent back with new Assault Weapon Systems. As Max is being taken to the medical installation, a man appears in Skyvault's monitors. It's Uniborg who introduces himself as the new ruler of Dominion, announcing the defeat of the Centurions and the takeover of Sand Castle. He explains that the main objective was to prevent Sand Castle sent Dominion's secret information to Skyvault. He also says that Sand Castle's personnel will be safe and unharmed as long as there's no hostilities against Dominion's forces and Ice Castle will be under Dominion's administration. Uniborg ends the speech saying Dominion only wants peace. But once the transmission is over, and his holographic disguise is gone, Uniborg reveals that the takeover of Sand Castle has given an additional advantage to Dominion. Back in Skyvault, Crystal informs the Centurions that without monitoring facilities like Sand Castle, Skyvault is "blind" because is unable to monitor the planet from any orbit. With Ice and Sand Castles out, only Fire Castle in New Zealand is the only facility left and if it falls they'll be in "serious trouble". With no idea of who is Uniborg, Ace decides to ask the only person who might know: Doc Terror. Both Ace and Jake visit the North American Rehabilitation Facility where Terror and Hacker are confined. Ace tells Dr. Petterson the institution is impressive while Jake thinks its too luxurious to be a prison. Dr. Petterson explains that unlike prisons, violent people learn to be peaceful through therapies consisting of interacting with a pet of their choice. Hacker is a rapid progress making patient and tells the Centurions they will not have to worry about him anymore since he's trying to be a good person, while Terror still displays violence and hate as his pet mouse is equipped with a flamethrower and attacks Hacker's pet cat. Ace asks how he created such thing and Terror replies he built it with a few clock pieces and a few butane. Terror explains that getting such parts is not easy and Jake replies saying he's happy to know about that because Terror would equip it with a photon charge to blow up the wall. Ace asks Terror about Dominion's fall and he is confronted by Jake about being defeated by a human (unaware of Uniborg being a robot disguised), Terror replies that Uniborg is not a human. Is a supreme robot disguised under a hologram to hide the union of Syntax and Legion. Hacker tells the Centurions that Uniborg took over Dominion and expelled them. Ace asks Terror to help them, but he refuses to reveal Dominion's location. The Centurions already know Dominion is covered by ice, but they don't know "¿Where's the door?". Terror still refuses to help the Centurions, and Ace is about threat him, but an emergency call from Crystal stops him: Fire Castle is under attack by Uniborg. Jake gives Ace his Exoframe since he knew they could be facing a situation like that. Ace tells Terror that if "that monster" was once a part of him he knews how he acts and already knows that his pride would not let him to help the Centurions and he's sure about that. Uniborg has already defeated him. The Centurions are sent to Fire Castle, Jake is having no problem with the reinforced Wild Weasel, but Ace has double-the-work to do as he has to take care of both air and sea forces since Max is unable to fight. However, the Strafer squadron is targetting Jake, knowing that Ace would be busy by the Seaborgs. But he can only warn Jake about the aerial threat since he has to take down the sea units, but the battle is already over for Jake since the Strafers use the same magnetic weapons they used on Ace in the previous episode. Sorrounded by the Groundborgs, Jake is in critical condition. One of the Groundborgs destroys Jake's Communicator Watch to prevent him from being retrieved by Skyvault, but Crystal had his coordinates already. For her bad luck, only the Wild Weasel is recovered. As Ace heads to Jake's location, Uniborg's hologram appears and tells Ace it's not worthy to sacrify himself for a useless hero. Ace replies they take care of each other, something that a robot don't understand. Uniborg replies saying he understands and gives Ace two choices: Save Jake and let Uniborg to take over Fire Castle or let Jake die by the Groundborgs. Ace decides to save Jake and Uniborg tells him that was an "intelligent choice" and disappears. Ace picks Jake and they're sent back to Skyvault. In a hospital is revealed that Jake has a broken leg. Jake realizes that Ace is the only Centurion left and things aren't going well. Tuning the news on TV to see how bad things are going, a reporter talks about the fall of Fire Castle and how this puts in question the Centurions capabilities to stop Dominion, while Australia and their allies signed a "No Agression" agreement with Dominion. As they talk about Uniborg, an enraged Doc Terror smashes the TV in the rehab center. Hacker complains about Terror's action because they're not going to be able to watch the "Tiny Touch Fuzzy Animal Show" after the coffee break. Dr. Petterson asks Terror what's the reason behind his actions. Doc Terror orders him to shut up and orders the doctor to contact Ace McCloud. He finally agrees to help Ace but under his conditions: First he demands to be released from the "loony bin" along with Hacker. Second, he wants access to a research laboratory. If he wants to break through Dominion he needs to develop new weapons. Third, he requests to be transported to the Arctic where only he and Hacker will enter Dominion alone and demands that nobody else follow them in order to keep Dominion's location in secret. He knews that Ice Castle will become Uniborg's next target, and if it falls, Skyvault will be isolated from the Earth. Finally: he asks for something to create a diversion to distract Uniborg and its revealed to be his Flamethrower mouse which damages a Sentinel Radar. Terror orders Ace to keep Uniborg's forces busy. Meanwhile in Skyvault, Ace is preparing for the mission, but Crystal disagrees with the idea claiming it to be a suicide. Ace replies saying he's taking command since Max and Jake are unable to fight. Crystal tries to change his mind because he is outnumbered and overpowered. However, Ace doesn't care, he is ready to face the mission because "That comes with the job", he is a Centurion: the last one. In Ice Castle, Uniborg's forces are attacking. Doc Terror and Hacker are ready for the attack and they hop on the snow vehicle while in Skyvault, Ace is ready to be sent to the battle. Meanwhile, the Traumatizer Leader sends a pulse that destroys the Strafers, which is the sign for Doc Terror to go and invade Dominion. Back in Skyvault, Ace is being equipped with the Sky Bolt, while Ace tells Crystal he will be back for a kiss from her. Back in Dominion, Uniborg is suprised of the destruction in Ice Castle, and is surprised again by Ace who takes down the Strafers. Both Hacker and Terror uses the distraction to enter Dominion. Back in the air, Ace outsmart the Strafers by using the Sky Bolt's speed to outrun the Strafers and their magnetic bombs, which are useless this time and they destroy themselves. Inside Dominion, Terror and Hacker take care of the surveillance cameras. Uniborg is watching the battle on the outside and they anticipate Ace will ran out of energy and they will wait for him. Then, Doc Terror surprises Uniborg who tries to stop him, but his Doom Drones are no match for Hacker. Terror faces Uniborg in a one-on-one fight where Uniborg is about to eliminate Terror until Hacker arrives and rips Uniborg's left arm. Doc Terror tells Uniborg he will pay for his betrayal and he will destroy him. Uniborg tries to convince Terror to not destroy him because he is them. However, Doc Terror doesn't care and he destroys Uniborg. After taking care of the enemies on the outside. Ace informs Crystal he shot down the last of Uniborg's Drones and requests to be beamed back to Skyvault because he has "a bounty to collect". Back in Skyvault, Ace communicates with both Jake and Max to show them something they're not gonna believe: Ace and Crystal kiss in front of them, shocking both Centurions on screen. When Max asks him how was that possible Ace replies that "All the girls love Ace", but Lucy interrupts him by kissing him, making Ace fall to the floor while Jake, Max and Crystal laugh of the situation and Crystal cracks a joke about Ace's comment as Lucy kisses Ace again and again. Science Lesson Recovered from his injuries after the battle with Uniborg, Jake is walking on the woods with his pet Shadow. After taking a look at the trees, Jake tells viewers that scientists had discovered that trees can communicate with each other. We know that trees can change the chemical components of their leaves in order to prevent insects from eating them. What is really surprising is that trees communicate with their "neighbors" so they can change their leaves too. Scientists made experiments to discover how trees can do that. The result of the experiment reveals that trees communicate with the chemical components released by them. Jake ends the lesson saying that plants can be compared with animals in many things. The only thing left to do is to run away. Curiosities * This episode is the last appearance of Uniborg in the series. * Episode-only appearence of Dr. Petterson. * The location of New Zealand's Fire Castle appears in Skyvault computer in Chatham Island but in the News report the map points South Island. * Apparently the events of "The Better Half" are out of the continuity since the previous episodes introduced Rex and John, which heavily contradicts Ace's comment about being the last Centurion. * There is a red Traumatizer which is the "Leader" of the group during the Ice Castle attack. * The 2019 videogame Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown features a similar premise to "The Better Half" as the plot involves on super-smart drones with combat skills that overpower humans leaving the military in a sorry state until the player character defeats them in the end. Error Xtreme: Animation Errors * The color flashing of Uniborg's Legion half changes from orange to blue during the episode. * When the camera zooms to the defeated Jake, we can see dirt on his face and Exoframe, but when he gets back up and after the camera zooms at his face, all the dirt is gone. * When Uniborg takes his holographic disguise off, he appears without the "hands", and after walking to the Earth hologram they appear as if they came out of nowhere. * Uniborg's Legion arm colors change constantly from gray to blue throughout the episode * ¿How did the Strafers magnetic bombs could cause injuries to Jake if the bombs targeted the Wild Weasel? * The transmit button on Ice Castle says "TRANCEMIT" instead of Transmit. * When Ace enters the Skyvault's chamber he's equipped with the Sky Bolt, but when Crystal begs him to stop, the camera makes a close up on Ace WITHOUT the Sky Bolt. * Ace's immunity to volcanic smoke in Fire Castle and his unexplained gliding. * Ace defying gravity before fighting Uniborg's forces outside Dominion. Lost in Translation * In the spanish dub, Jake's casted leg has the phrase "Throw a Shoe. Ace McCloud", which was translated in the spanish dub as "Saludos de tu amigo Ace McCloud" (Greetings from your friend Ace McCloud). Possible Pop Culture Reference * In the spanish dub of the episode, after Doc Terror smashed the TV during a news article about Uniborg, Hacker complains saying "iba a ver mi programa predilecto de los monos pequeños y peludos." (I was about to see my favorite show of the little furry monkeys), which could be or not a reference to the 1985 cartoon Star Wars: Ewoks. Destroyed Communicator Watch Count * 1.- Jake's communicator was crushed by a Groundborg in order to keep Skyvault from picking him back up. Gravity Error * Ace floats in midair enough time to shout "Power Xtreme!" before his Skybolt equipping. Superhuman Centurions * Ace is able to slowly glide in mid-air long enough to shout "Power Extreme!", prior to his Sky Knight equipping and also in the middle of the volcanic smoke. Foreign names *'Una Mitad Poderosa - Segunda Parte' (A Powerful Half - Second Part) - Latin American Dub Category:Centurions Episodes Category:Multi-Part Episodes Category:Episodes written by Larry Huber